Holiday destinations that were unexpectedly lovely OR awful.

[NickiFury]

Torremolinos - ex booked it and I really didn't want to go. It was beautiful, amazing food, beach, perfect for kids, been back loads since.

Thailand - I hated it from the moment I left Bangkok airport, Krabi down by the coast was ok but the rest of the time was awful, I actually cried with relief when we touched down at Heathrow.

Are you sure it was Majorca you went to Hyacynth. It sounds nothing like it at all.

Maybe you need this thread

Went to Guernsey as part of a cruise. In fairness I wasn't expecting much, but we got off the ship anyway. We went to a local attraction which was a pleasant but ordinary park, with apparently very old greenhouses on it. We got chatting to the chap painting one of the greenhouses and remarked how good they looked considering how old they are. He told us it was only the foundations that were old. The actual greenhouses were only about 40 years old. That was the most interesting thing to visit. Most people were back on the boat for lunch, although we didn't leave port for another 3 hours.

Majorca has amazing scenery Its utterly gorgeous.
I cant imagine people like Bob Gelfdolf, Catherine Zeta Jones, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Claudia Shiffer, the King Of Spain, peirce brosnan etc etc etc, with all the money in the world would choose to buy somewhere with no scenery

Maybe she was in Santa Ponsa. Santa Ponsa is pretty grim.

Majorca has no scenery? Most of the island is just stunning, one of the most beautiful places ive ever been. Granted, Alcudia isn't the nicest part but just steps away it's gorgeous. Did you go to the walled town of old Alcudia? To Pollensa? To Palma? All easily accessible from Alcudia and all gorgeously beautiful

I'm surprised to see Alcudia mentioned. I have been there many times and absolutely love it.

Really enjoying this thread. I'm going to consider lanzarote and Majorca for our next holiday, based on all the feedback here but I'm very nervous about doing so because people rave about towns and resorts in the Algarve that I thought were truly awful. I was disappointed the minute we drove out of Faro airport, and it never really improved

The Algarve completely passed me by too, I didn't get it

This thread is making me feel old . Bali was a really lovely unspoiled island in 1986. Jakarta was an awful mix of poverty, and flash high rise offices but the Javanese people were lovely, we lived there for a while.

Faro and Albufeira in the Algarve were beautiful and unspoiled in the early 70s

I loved Lisbon 6 years ago.

Loved glamping but thought I'd hate it.

Love Cornwall, especially Fowey.

Love Sani in Greece. So chilled...

Hated centre parcs - urrrgh - felt like I was being milked for cash and it pissed it down all week so everything seemed damp and cold.

Disney Paris - yuk yuk yuk. Threw money at the best hotel, meals etc and still felt I was on the most awful, commercial conveyor belt.

Vegas - hated it more than I can say. So fake and naff.

Loved the Polish Tatra mountains. Really took me by suprise was stunning. Not to far from Krakow which is a fabulous city.

Also loved New York despite expecting to hate it!!

Really hated Rome. Went in the middle of summer and it was just awful. It felt so dusty and just unwelcoming. I might try another time of year though.

Loved Sousse in Tunisia - went in 2000, last minute cheapy honeymoon booking. Such a shame they've had the violence out there recently.

St. Ives last year - Didn't rate it. Everyone goes because of all the hype, hence horribly overcrowded; preferred Falmouth - lovely.

I loved Ibiza, great weather, great vibe and relaxing.

Bali was boring.

Berlin amazing.

I loved Dublin. Humorous cab driver picked us up from the airport and made us laugh all the way to the hotel - and DH does NOT laugh easily. Spent a weekend there, loved the kind, amusing people, went to see Grandmother's home town of Athy,, had several excellent meals and so enjoyed an evening in a pub- and I am not a pub person ever - did not want to leave. Did the Guinness factory tour - drink in the the bar on the roof overlooking glorious scenery - sorry others didn't find it so lovely.

Absolutely detested Disneyland Paris. Utter utter shite. Horrible experience. Never again. Queues for absolutely everything, including the toilets. Imagine asking a 5 yo to hold her wee in for 45 minutes. Makes me shudder to think I spent all that money on a pile of wank like that.

just got back from Butlins Bognor and had a fabulous time. Friendly staff, lots to do for our dd, excellent entertainment (Diversity, v funny panto, little mix tribute and more). When dd is so happy, it makes us happy. She had an absolute ball. Restaurants etc on site were very reasonable. Hotel fab. Free wifi. Clean. We will be going back. Dd doesn't like the beach, and doesn't like spending all day in the pool, so this was brilliant for her.

A few people have mentioned it already, but I LOVED Slovenia. It's extremely beautiful and the people are so friendly. I also really loved Trieste, in Italy - there were hardly any other tourists, the weather was gorgeous and it felt very "authentic". A real hidden gem!

Disney Paris - hated it, nothing like the ones in America. It was cold and the staff were miserable!

I love Barcelona and LA is my most favourite place.

I'd love to go to Tokyo next.

I have loved many places at home and abroad. I disliked Venice in July as couldn't move for swarms of tourists thought I'd love it. As I loved Rome and many other places in Italy but not Venice. Also really looked forward to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico and it was dreadful such a long flight to get to a place ruined and overtaken by rowdy rude drunken American youths.

Thought I would hate Northumberland when a work colleague used to go several years running but 10 years later with children and a big dog we absolutely love the big skies, empty huge white sandy beaches, brisk winds and pub grub.

Oh yes, Tarttlet we are not a skiing type of family but we went to Bled In Slovenia for Christmas one year. The hotel had an ex communist vibe, the food was not good. But the view to an island in the middle of a lake was stunning. There was snow and we went on a pony sledge ride. The pony was very smelly but it was fun. ds loved snowboarding. I'd recommend it, it's probably much better now!

Bosnia! Amazingly beautiful country and Sarajevo should be one of the most visited tourist cities in Europe given all it has to offer and all the charm.

Bosnia wasn't at all what I was expecting, but I can't say enough nice things about it.

Mitzy Guess whose booked for Santa Ponsa this October? But to be fair it was cheap, so don't expect much and will be out and about (on the train to Soller after this thread!)

I must be easily pleased because I've generally had good experiences everywhere I've been. The only place I was slightly underwhelmed by was Northern Cyprus because my husband had bigged it up so much before we went (he went in his teens and had fab memories of the place) and it didn't quite live up to my expectations, but it was still okay.

Had an awful holiday once in Brittany beginning with a terribly rough ferry crossing (both my husband and I were seasick and we had nine month old twins to look after), we arrived on a wet Sunday morning in October when everything was closed, got to our gite and it had been broken into; smashed glass everywhere, puddles all over the bathroom floor from the torrential rain, tv and dvd player nicked and the previous guests hadn't replaced the calor gas so we couldn't even have a cuppa. We ended up having tea at McDonald's (the only thing open) and having a very early night...but we managed to have a fun week after that and it was quite nice snuggling up in bed early instead of watching tv every night!

... After the I love Mallorca thread, I mean - which I have been stalking for a mention of Santa Ponsa.... hasn't happened...

Paris - boring and hostile.

Israel - friendly people, lovely beaches, lots of interesting sites (Jerusalem felt much safer than appears on tv).

Oh Ursaminor I was there on a wild girls' holiday about 18 years ago. It may well have changed since then! I'm sure you'll have a great time.